Tag: youtube

So, one of my DJ friends on Facebook, Curtis Atchinson, posted a YouTube video on Facebook today of a DJ on day-time TV somewhere in Russia or the Ukraine spinning CDs while a singer performs the backing vocals to a track. If you look closely, there are NO WIRES attaching the Pioneer CD decks to the mixer. Nor is their any electricity going to ANYTHING!

This is just plan fraudulent! It makes Milli Vanilli look like the Rolling Stones. One of the most egregious, fraudulent DJ sets I’ve ever seen with my own two eyes.

Okay, so maybe it’s a day-time TV show. Maybe they didn’t outlets nearby. Maybe some set designer was too concerned about wires that would clutter the front of the set. Really? They couldn’t plug anything in?

We’ll never know if this DJ has any talent whatsoever, but he’ll have a lot of explaining to do when this video takes off virally across the web and his DJ career is ruined, because no one will ever trust that he’s actually playing the music at his gigs.

There are some records in life that touch your soul. When Alicia Keyes and Jay Z rolled out with “Empire State of Mind,” an ode to the New York City experience, it was a both a transformational and inspirational anthem, embraced by all those whose lives are touched by the opportunity and diversity that exists in the most exciting city in the world. I’ve listened to so many versions of the song, including a beautiful acoustic version she’d done for an iHeartRadio event in New York City, which is my favorite.

I was searching for house music remixes of the song and found not only an amazing mix by Randall Jones, but a nice video tribute to New York City. The track provides the backing for a cool video collage. I especially love the break-dancing parts. I grew up on “breaking” and it brought back memories of challenging myself to learn new moves that I could show off to my friends.

Having lived in the New York City metro area for over 15-years, building a career first in Internet music and digital media, I’d gone through tumultuous times and faced incredible odds. I somehow found a way to make my mark. No matter how difficult, there was always a new place to go, new people to meet, and new things to do. New York is so big, it’s like 5 cities in one. You’re never really in the same place twice for too long. For each ride on the subway or walking across blocks brings a different experience.

The Soul Funky Mix I’ve posted is another incredible mix of this amazing song. I love this track, because it reminds me of my time spent on Friday nights at Twilo, were I’d listen to two of the world’s best producers, Sasha and John Digweed, blend a mix of trance and emerging tech house sounds. The breakdown in this mix reminds me of those last nights spent twirling amongst the glow sticks and go-go dancers.